Clutch.



PATENTED MAR. 6, 1906.

C. G. KEYSER.

CLUTCH.

APPLICATION Hum r2113, 1905.

To all whom it may concern:.

UNITED STATEs PATENT onnron.

CHARLES o. iKEYSER, OF NEWPORT NEWS, VIRGINIA.

CLUTCH.

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed February 13, 1905.Serial No. 245,458.

Patented March '6 1906.

Be it known that I, CHARLES C. KEYSER, a citizen of the United States,residing at New I port News, in the county ofWarwick and State ofVirginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clutches;and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and

' exact description of the invention, such. as

will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertainsto make-anduse the same.

This invention'relates to clutches of that A character designed to beattached to the rear coaster-brakehub of chain-driven motor-cycles; andone of the principal objects of the same is to provide simple andefficient means for connecting and disconnecting the runninggear to andfrom the motor in, order that the motor may be permitted to run with outturning the rear wheel.

Another object is-to provide a device of this character which shall becomparatively simple in construction, offew parts, and

which may be quickly operated to connect and disconnect therunning-gearfromthe power.

These objects are attained by means of the construction illustrated inthe accompanying" drawings, in which 3 Figure 1 1s a central verticalsect on of a coaster-brake hub having my improved throw-off deviceconnected thereto. Fig. 2

- is a plan view of a tooth-disk. Fig. 3 1s a similar view of a movabletooth-disk; Fig. 4 is a plan View of the sprocket-wheel. Fig. 5 is aplan view of the friction-disk, and Fig. 6

.. is a detail sectional view of a portion, of the same. I

Referring to the drawings'for a better de scription of my invention, thenumeral 1 deslgnates a friction-disk having an inclined periphery 2 andcomprises the outer member and the inner member 3, said two membersbeing fitted together and the member 3 provided with a screw-threadedhub 4:. The two members of the disk are at suitable inter- 'valsprovided with cut-away portions to accommodate springs 5, and the ends 6and '7 of the two members are extended laterally to form abutments forthe ends of the springs. A headed bolt Sserves to hold the two memberstogether. The purpose of the springs is to take up or absorb the shockcaused bythe sudden movement of the' clutch-disk against itsfriction-surface, which causes jerking of the chain, and each explosionof the motor is absorbed by the springs instead of the fricposite sidesaid sprocket-wheel is provided with a ball-raceway 13, in which aresteel balls to reduce friction to a minimum. A movable tooth-disk, whichforms a wed e be tween the sprocket-wheel and the rlgid y-securedwedge-disk; is provided with a re istering ball-raceway 14 and aprojecting ug or periphery rim which fits against the outer side ofthesprocket-wheel and may have a washer 40, of felt'or other suitablematerial, to excludedust, dirt, &c. The teeth or wedges 16, any suitablenumber of which maybe used,

have inclined'faces, and at the upper portion of this disk an arm a issecured to or formed on the wedge-disk. This arm is connected by asuitable lever .or handle which extends to within the reach of thedriver. disk'17, which is provided with o posite arranged teeth 1-8, isdesigned to e rigid y attached, by means of the arm 19,to anysuitableportion of the frame of the cycle. The operation of 'm invention may bede' scribed as follows: W en it is desired to con-- neotv therunning-gear to the motor Without stopping the motor, the leverconnected -tothe arm c is operated to turn the wedge-disk, and thus movethe sprocket-wheel inward until the inclined frictionfaces come intocontact, at which time the springs 5 are compressed to relieve the partsof sudden strain Thewedgefor jars. An opposite movement of the lever of'cour'se disconnects the sprocket wheel,

from the friction disk.

.Various changes in the form, proportion, and'theminor details ofconstruction maybe resorted'to without departing from the prin'- cipleor sacrificing any of the advantages of,

this invention.

what I claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is

' -1. In a friction throw-BE for motor-cycles,

a friction-disk adapted to be secured to the rear hub of the vehicle-and"comprisin a rigid disk and a movable disk, said two disks I 1 1o Havingthus fully described my invention,

bein connected byaseries of cushion-springs, a b'a -be aring betweensaid disks, a sprocketwheel having a recess to receive the frictiondiskand a friction-surface, a movable wedgedisk, ball bearin s between the srocketwheel and the Wedgedisk and a ri i wedgedisk secured to the frameof the ve hicle, 'su-b stantially as described. I

2. The herein described friction device comgrising the two members 1 3,one member eing secured rigidly to a hub and the other member adapted tomove thereon, intermediate curved springs between the two members, theends of the springs bearing against lugs on the members, ball-bearingsbetween thommber's, a sprocket-wheel rovid'ed with a recess toaccommodate the iction-disk and a friction-surface, a rigid wedgeand amovable wedge-disk between the disk sprobket-wheel and the movablewedge-disk, substantially as described.

Intestimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubs'cribing witnesses. 1 1 CHARLES C. KEYSEB'. Witnesses: v

' C; A'. Lmneolm,

S. BLANToN.

